“GUARD THE TREASURE!”– 2 TIMOTHY 1:14 COLORADO APRIL 15, 2014 Dan File, P.O. Box 1088, Lake City, CO 82135-1088/303-345-8830 / [email protected]

Timothy had been saved with a holy calling for God’s purpose and good deposit of money entrusted to him. The gospel must never be Paul reminds him that he was secure in the One he had placed his corrupted or the message changed because it is this truth, not half- life, his trust and his confidence in. Then, Paul calls on Timothy to truths or distorted truths that save. retain that standard of truth that changed his life forever, because it Paul wants Timothy to take his responsibility to the gospel seriously. is the Word of God that does the work of God in our lives. Our Heretical teaching was a constant threat. Only the good news of the words are powerless, even the most effective words cannot save or gospel of Christ can save. As believers, we not only have the change a life. Only the Word of God is effective in calling one to responsibility to share this message, but also to keep and preserve it. salvation, transforming a heart and renewing the mind through its It will require perpetual vigilance and the moment we drop our sanctifying work in cooperation with the Holy Spirit. And it is God’s guard, deception creeps in. We not only have been given the gospel Word that teaches us about Who God is and offers the unshakeable which brought us to salvation, but the gospel has been a good pillars of truth we can live by and rely upon. Now Paul exhorts deposit, a treasure given to us to guard, keep, protect, defend, Timothy to faithfully guard this treasure he has been given. preserve and watch. I. “GUARD THE TREASURE!”–2 TIMOTHY 1:14 A true treasure is worth sharing, worth guarding, worth living for 2 Timothy 1:13-14, “Retain the standard of sound words which you have heard and worth dying for. The gospel of Jesus Christ is that good deposit, from me, in the faith and love which are in Christ Jesus. Guard, through the that good thing committed to us, our true eternal treasure and we Holy Spirit who dwells in us, the treasure which has been entrusted to you.” must preserve this sound teaching from being corrupted by any means. We must defend it and never let the message of the gospel be Paul took his responsibility to the gospel seriously, not wanting diluted or distorted. Paul would later write that he would never be a anything to dilute or distort the message to suit popular thinking. part of “adulterating the word of God”. (2 Corinthians 4:2) The message must never be changed because the souls of men depended on it. Therefore Paul issued two imperatives in 2 Timothy Not only are we called to conduct ourselves in a manner worthy of 1:13-14. Last week we looked at our first responsibility to the gospel; the gospel (:27) but we must guard the gospel against “Retain the standard of sound words which you have heard from me, in the faith addition or deletion of any kind. There will always be those who and love which are in Christ Jesus.” Now Paul reminds Timothy that his want to add to the message or take away from the message for one responsibility to the gospel also includes this charge; “Guard, through reason or another. The Apostle Peter wrote as a warning in 2 Peter the Holy Spirit who dwells in us, the treasure which has been entrusted to you.” 2:1-2; “But false prophets also arose among the people, just as there will also be A. “GUARD THE TREASURE”-2 TIMOTHY 1:14 false teachers among you, who will secretly introduce destructive heresies, even Paul calls on Timothy to vigilantly preserve the message of the denying the Master who bought them, bringing swift destruction upon themselves. gospel for the truths he has been taught must never be changed. And many will follow their sensuality, and because of them the way of the truth will be maligned.” And then later he exhorts believers with the

“guard” Greek “phulaxon” means to watch, to keep, to preserve, to be following words; “Therefore beloved, since you look for these things, be diligent perpetually vigilant like a soldier, protecting against loss or destruction like to be found by Him in peace, spotless and blameless and regard the patience of a banker, protection against change. our Lord to be salvation, just as also our beloved brother Paul, according to the wisdom given him, wrote to you, as also in all his letters speaking in them of these “treasure” Greek “kalos” means good deposit, excellent choice, the good things to which are some things hard to understand, which the untaught and thing committed, harmonious completeness, a deposit committed to unstable distort as they do also the rest of the Scriptures, to their own destruction. someone’s trust You therefore, beloved, knowing this beforehand, be on your guard lest being carried away by the error of unprincipled men, you fall from your own It is imperative that Timothy preserves sound teaching from steadfastness, but grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus becoming corrupted, eroded or changed. Timothy must be vigilant Christ. To Him be the glory both now and to the day of eternity. Amen.” like a soldier to guard the good deposit of the gospel from distortion Jude, the half-brother of Jesus would write, “Beloved, while I was or change. He must protect the good deposit of the gospel from making every effort to write you about our common salvation, I felt the necessity counterfeit lies or deceptive destruction like a banker guards the to write to you appealing that you contend earnestly for the faith which was once

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“GUARD THE TREASURE !”– 2 TIMOTHY 1:14 for all delivered to the saints. For certain persons have crept in unnoticed, those history, God has chosen and used nobodies because their unusual who were long beforehand marked out for this condemnation, ungodly persons who dependence on Him made possible the unique display of His power turn the grace of our God into licentiousness and deny our only Master and Lord, and grace.”1 We have God’s divine provision and assistance through Jesus Christ.” We must take our responsibility to the gospel of Jesus the Holy Spirit to guard the treasure, the good deposit of the gospel Christ seriously and guard the treasure given to us. As Jude says, we of Jesus Christ. must contend earnestly for the faith for it is under constant assault. It is our sacred duty as believers to safeguard this good deposit, the C. “WHICH HAS BEEN ENTRUSTED TO YOU” – 2 TIMOTHY 1:14C true and only treasure in this life, given to us to keep, to watch, to Paul spoke of that which he had entrusted to God in 2 Timothy 1:12. guard, preserve, protect and defend. But how can we fulfill this His life and work were safe and secure with God. Paul knew God responsibility to the gospel of Jesus Christ? personally and intimately and God would not fail him. But now, Paul calls on Timothy to safeguard and keep the unbroken trust God had B. “THROUGH THE HOLY SPIRIT” – 2 TIMOTHY 1:14B place in him. God has the power to guard what we have entrusted to 2 Timothy 1:13-14, “Retain the standard of sound words which you have heard Him. So He also gives us the power to guard what He has entrusted from me, in the faith and love which are in Christ Jesus. Guard, through the to us. Paul urges Timothy to safeguard the trust God has place in

Holy Spirit who dwells in us, the treasure which has been entrusted to you.” Him.2 God offers His divine assistance enabling us to fulfill the We have been given a treasure. We have been entrusted with a responsibility He has given us. Paul reminds Timothy and us as well; solemn duty from God- to uphold, defend and proclaim the treasure, that we can count on the assistance of the Holy Spirit Whose the good deposit of the gospel. That carries a great responsibility. purpose is to promote the gospel of God which is the only truth that The most solemn responsibility a believer has is to defend and set’s men free from sin. uphold the integrity of God’s Word. Look at our world today…is this not a needed call; to guard the treasure of the gospel and retain “dwells” Greek “enoikountos” present tense, means resides the standard of sound words. continuously, to pitch a tent. Follow Paul’s example. A true treasure is worth guarding, worth

dying for and worth sharing. It must not be distorted, deleted or The fact that God has pitched His tent in us through the Holy Spirit added to in any way because it is the Word of God that does the is an amazing truth. God Himself has taken up residence in our work of God. Hold tightly to the pattern of truth that is taught and hearts. Because the word is present tense, this means that the Holy take seriously your responsibility to the gospel of Jesus Christ. Spirit is continuously, constantly in us. Jesus prayed in :16- v The deposit of our lives with God is secure. The question 17 for the Helper Who would come and be with us forever. Before is, how secure is His deposit of the truth with us?3 He ascended to heaven, our Lord promised that the Holy Spirit would come, enabling a bold and powerful witness. 1 Corinthians v Do you compromise, deviate from the gospel, distort the 3:16 and 6:19 remind us that the Spirit dwells within every believer. gospel in any way so it is more appealing to others and He is at work in our lives convicting, revealing, enabling and maybe even ourselves? empowering us to grow and live the Christian life in a way that is v Do you understand and are you committed to your pleasing to God. responsibility to the gospel? Do you take this seriously? God has the power to guard what we have entrusted to Him. (2 v Are you committed to retaining the standard and guarding Timothy 1:12) and here God gives us the power to guard what He the treasure of the gospel? has entrusted to us through the Holy Spirit. The guarding is not the task of Timothy alone. It is done with the help of the indwelling v What is holding you back from fulfilling God’s purpose in Holy Spirit. We can never succeed in serving God through our own your life? strength. Paul’s appeal to Timothy is to live out his ministry through the power of the Holy Spirit. Only in that way can we not be 1Hughes, R. Kent and Chapell, Bryan, 1 and 2 Timothy and Titus; To Guard the Deposit. Crossway Books: Wheaton, Illinois, 2000. Pg. 187. ashamed, join in suffering for the gospel, retain the standard of 2Barclay, William, The Letters to Timothy, Titus, and Philemon. Westminster John Knox sound words and guard the treasure of God. In our weakness is the Press: Louisville, Kentucky, 1956, revised 1975 and 2003. Pg. 169. 3MacArthur, John, MacArthur Commentary on 2 Timothy. Moody Press: Chicago, 1998. occasion for God’s power. Oswald Chambers said this, “All through Pg.31.